Fluid dispensing machine



Dec. 11, 1934. H. J. AROESTY FLUID DISPENSING MACHINE Filed Feb. 23, 1932 2 11v VENTOR Patented Dec. 11, 1934 UNITED. STATES PATE T OFFICE" 1 Claim.

My present invention relates to dispensing apparatus and more particularly to machines in the nature of pumps for measuring and forcing fluids in regulated quantities into packages or other receptacles, and it has for its object to provide a simple, convenient and serviceable ma chine of this character that will rapidly handle viscous fluids, such, for instance, as mayonnaise.

To these and other ends, the invention resides in certain improvements and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claim appearing at the end of this specification.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a vertical central section through an apparatus constructed in accordance with and illustrating one embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section through the plunger head in detail;

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the plunger head in section through the plunger, and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the connecting rod adjustment.

Similar reference numerals throughout the several views indicate the same parts.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, 1 indicates a table or frame for elevating the apparatus to a convenient height and embodying a base 2 from which rests and is suitably secured a casing 3. Supported on the crown plate 4 of this casing is a prefer-ably cylindrical hopper 5 that may be open at the top, as shown. The lower end of this hopper is reduced in diameter in the manner of a funnel to terminate in a neck 6 having flanges '7 secured at 8 to the crown plate 4. This neck provides a measuring chamber 9, with the bottom of which communicates a discharge nozzle 10 curved to deliver above a shelf 11 projecting from the side of the casing 3.

A plunger rod 12 extends vertically and centrally through the hopper and has fixed thereto near its lower end a head 13 provided with substantial openings 14 and having a running fit in the chamber 9 to reciprocate therein. In spaced relation to this head, the tip of the plunger rod is fitted with a cap piece 15 and between these two elements a valve washer or disk 16 is arranged to vibrate, being slidably fitted on the rod. In operation and on the down stroke of the latter,.the valve 16 pressing against the body of thick mayonnaise or other similar material in the chamber 9 is held against substanpinion 25.

tial movement until the head 13 descends against it and it engages in a countersunk seat 1'7 in the under side of the head, whereby it closes the openings 14. Thus, the cap piece 15 and the then imperforate head force the material occupying the chamber 9 out through the discharge pipe 10, the nozzle of which is above a jar or other receptacle on the shelf 11, or it may be preferred to use the shelf for empty jars and to hold the jar being filled in the hand up against the nozzle so that the latter will project therein and force the mayonnaise up around itself from the bottom of the jar, which procedure avoids trapping air and causing bubbles or air pockets. I

Upon the up stroke of the plunger rod, the body of mayonnaise pressing down from the weight of that in the hopper unseats the valve 16 and causes it to drop down upon the cap piece 15 from the position of Fig. 2 to that of Fig. 1. The material may then flow through the openings 14 and refill the chamber 9 with another charge, these successive charges being substantially uniform in volume. If the machine is left idle for more than a brief period while the hopper is filled, the hereinafter described mechanism is stopped at the end of the down stroke of the plunger so that the cap piece 15 will close the opening at the bottom of the chamber 9 into the nozzle 10 and prevent the fluid from draining out.

"The driving mechanism for effecting these movements is mounted on the base 2 and housed within the casing 3. The prime mover consists, in the present instance, of a motor 18 which, through a worm 19, drives at a reduction of speed a worm gear 20 on a shaft 21 mounted in bearings on a frame 22. A fixed clutch element 23 on this shaft is opposed to a freely rotatable and longitudinally slidable clutch element 24 carried on a sleeve having at its opposite end a relatively wide This pinion is in constant but sliding mesh with a gear 26 fixed to a crank shaft 27 carrying a slotted crank 28 on the exterior of the casing. A wrist pin 29 on the lower end of a connecting rod 30 is slidably adjustable in the slotted crank to vary the throw, while the upper end of the connecting rod is pivoted at 31 to the outer end of a'beam 32, the inner end of which is pivoted at 33 to the opposite side of the hopper 5. The plunger rod 12 is'pivoted at 34 at an intermediate point on the beam. A bell crank shipper 35 under the influence of a spring 36 nor-' mally holds the clutch element 24 out of gear. Upon pressing a treadle 37 connected to the shiper by a rod 38, the clutch is thrown in and the plunger rod 12 and its valve head are actuated as first described in a manner that will be understood from the description just given.

It is best to have the capacities of the different sized jars to be filled in multiples of the capacity of the chamber 9 or, conversely, one stroke of the plunger discharges a sufiicient body of material to fill the smallest jar. Thus, if half-pint, pint and quart jars are to be filled, one, two and four cycles of the machine will be required, respectively.

I claim as my invention:

In a filling machine for viscous fluids, the combination with a base forming a casing and a hopper having a neck by which it is supported upon the casing and forming a measuring chamber in its bottom that is gravity filled from the hopper, said measuring chamber being provided with a fixed lateral discharge nozzle also adapted to be supplied by gravity induced flow and leading laterally and downwardly to the side of the base casing, the latter being provided with a filling station support at that point, of a plunger extending vertically through the hopper and provided with a pumping head operating in the chamber, a beam pivoted to one side of the hopper at one end and to the plunger at an intermediate point, a prime mover and transmission gear housed within the casing, and connections between the prime mover and the beam.

HYMAN J. AROESTY. 

